Gate



GATE

Filed April 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 di Q A ttorney Sept-15, 1942. 1 H, HLRlCHs 2,295,525

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Attorney Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PTET OFFICE GATE Harm Ahlrichs, Petersburg, Ill.

Application April 10, 1941, Serial No. 387,950

1 Claim. (Cl. 35i- 56) This invention has reference to gates and more particularly to such gates as are equipped with mechanism to be operated remote from the gate for changing the center of gravity of the gate so as to cause it to swing by its own weight into lease the gate so as to permit the same to swingv by its own weightinto an open position.

Further in accordance with the present invention means is provided for releasably holding the gate in an open position with the operating mechanism of the gate remaining operable torelease the gate from this open position and cause it by its own weight to return to closed position.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing somewhat diagrammatically my improved gate and operating mechanism therefor and with the gate shown in closed position by full lines and in open position by broken lines.

Figure 2 is a View showing the gate in open position but with the keeper-equipped post holding the gate in open position removed.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the gate in a closed position and also in lowered position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged View partly in section and partly in elevation showing the hinge assembly for the gate.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View showing the mechanism for hold-l ing the gate in a raised position.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the bottom hinge rod and associated parts.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an operating crank, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through a post and the top hinge bracket associated therewith.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a hinge post 5 on which are mounted vertically spaced hinge brackets 6, 1.

Journaled in the hinge bracket 6 is a vertical hinge pin 8 that extends through the upper and lower arms of the bracket 6 and through a fixed hinge plate 9 bolted or otherwise secured on an upper corner of the gate IIJ as shown.

J ournaled vertically in the lower hinge bracket I is an angular or crank-form of hinge pin I I that also extends through the apertured part of the hinge plate I2 suitably mounted adjacent the lower edge of the gate I0. K

The hinge rod II embodies the aforementioned crank portion IIa and an integral shank portion IIb.

For the lower free end of the shank or shaft portion IIb of the hinge rod II there is suitably provided a stationary bearing I3'.

Fixedly secured on the shank or shaft portion IIb of the hinge rod II is a disk I4 that is provided adjacent its peripheral edges -with oppositely disposed apertures that accommodate the angular ends I5, I 6 of rods I5a, andISa, respectively.

The rods I5a, I6a. have ends thereof pivotally connected with arms I'Ia and I8a, respectively, of cranks I'I and I8, respectively, disposed at opposite sides of the gate as shown in Figure 1 so as to, respectively, transmit movement of one of the cranks to the disk I4 and consequently the hinge rod II for causing the gate I0 to swing to an open or closed position, as the case may be.

At the side of the entrance controlled by the gate I0, opposite to that side thereof where the post 5 is located, there is located a post I9 on which is suitably mounted a spring-keeper assembly 20 with which is cooperable a spring latch 2| on the free end of the gate I 0 for holding the gate releasably secured in closed position.

The post I9 is also provided with a suitable stop 22 disposed at right angles to the keeper 20 and cooperable therewith for releasably retaining the gate III, in closed position, and against untoward swinging in either direction.

Also in accordance with the present invention a third post 23 is provided and the same is arranged at one side of the driveway in a somewhat triangular relationship to the posts 5 and I9 and, as shown in .Figure 5, when the gate I0 is swung to open position it will, when in open position, abut the post 23. Post 23 is also provided with a suitable spring keeper assembly 24 with which the spring latch 2| of the gate I0 is cooperable for releasably holding the gate in this open position suggested by broken lines in Figure 1.

The gate is operated by a vehicle or otherwise at a point remote from the gate in the following manner: Assuming that the gate is in the closed position shown in Figure 1. A vehicle approaching the gate from the right*l side, as viewed in Figure 1, will ride over the raised portion of the crank I8 rocking the same in its bearings and eX- erting a push on the rod Ia. This will cause the disk I4 and associated hinge rod Ila to rotate, and this rotative movement of the hinge element II will cause a slight lifting of the gate IIJ so as` to free the spring latch 2|. As a result the upper part of the gate is moved out of vertical line with the bottom so that the gate will then of its own weight swing into the open position suggested by dotted lines in Figure 1 and become latched to the post 23.

The movement just described for crank I1 will move the rod I5a Acausing the disk I4 and hinge pin or rod II to t-urn in a reverse direction so that, as aforementioned, the gate I will be raised slightly to release the latch 2I thereof from the keeper 24 and to cause the gate of its own weight to then swing from the open position suggested by dotted lines in Figure 1 to the closed position suggested by full lines in Figure 1 and become latched to the post I9 in this closed position.

Thus, in this way, the gate is released and moved to a closed position behind the vehicle passing through the gateway.

It will be appreciated that the gate-operating means may be actuated by`a vehicle approaching from either direction.

It will also be appreciated that the gate, so hinged and hung, may be used as an ordinary farm or walk'gate, the gate being also freely swingable with respect to the hinge elements 8 and II. Y Y

Further inV accordance with the present invention, means is provided for retaining the gate in an elevated position to clear snow drifts or to allow small animals to pass therebeneath. To that end there is provided a retaining element 25 which, in the present instance, is in the form of a at plate having at one end a laterally directed apertured ear 26 through which the hinge pin 8 extends, and is positioned on the hinge pin between the lower member of the hinge bracket 6 and the apertured ear of the hinge plate 9 secured to the gate I5 as shown in Figure 4. At the opposite end thereof the member 25 is provided with a narrow extension 26 which serves as a handle therefor, and a relatively short teat 21 that is adapted to be engaged in an aperture 28 provided therefor in the bottom member of the bracket 6 as shown in Figure 8.

Thus, to retain the gate I0 in a raised or elevated position, the gate II) is slid upwardly and the operator then raises the member 25 so as to engage the teat 21 in the aperture 28 of the bracket 6, so that the parts are then |substantially in the position shown in Figure 5, and in which position the member 25 serves to retain the gate in this raised or elevated position.

It will also be understood that when in such raised or elevated position the gate may still be operated by remote control through the gate-operating mechanism hereinbefore described, and that also the gate when in elevated or raised position may be used as an ordinary farm or walk gate.

It is thought that the invention, together with its many advantages, willbe clear to those skilled in the art.

It is also to be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise embodiment of the invention as herein illustrated since changes may be made therein by persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a gate structure including a gate and a post, a bracket connected with the post and having youtwardly extending arms, a vertically arranged `crank pin `iournaled in the arms by straight end portions, the lower end portion being extended to pass downwardly well beyond the lower arm of the bracket, a stationary bearing supported in the gateway and into which the said extended lower end of the crank pin extends, a bracket on the gate having an outwardly extending part formed with a hole for receiving the crank part ofthe pin, a disk connected with the extended lower end of the pin and resting on the bearing, rods connecting the said disk and extending in opposite directions, .and wheel operated cranks operatively connected to said rods.

HARM AHLRICHS. 

